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Aliso Canyon was the biggest methane well blowout in U.S. history, and we still don't know why it happened. The California Public Utilities Commission just reopened the facility without the necessary environmental and safety reviews, so we have no way of knowing if it will happen again.

Participating in a press conference yesterday in downtown LA, I watched as Jane Fowler faced the TV cameras and teared up over the re-opening of Sempra’s giant Aliso Canyon gas reserve next door to where she lives.

The site of the biggest methane well blowout in U.S. history forced her to flee, and the now-capped well is still leaking methane that makes her sick.

No sooner had the PUC and oil regulators greenlighted resumed natural gas injections at Aliso Canyon last week, than Los Angeles County sued to block it.

LA County is suing Southern California Gas for failing to conduct required safety and environmental studies on its natural gas storage facillity and to turn over public documents before it is reopened. As well the County should.

While in Beijing last month, Gov. Jerry Brown publicly promoted the fight against climate change. Just as important was the quiet attendance of AES, a major builder of fossil-fuel power plants in California.

Was the governor making plans to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, or was he making deals to build more climate-warming natural gas plants? Unfortunately, California’s transparency laws don’t ensure the disclosure of such backroom conversations.

Governor Jerry Brown made an impassioned plea today that Senators pass AB 398—his signature legislation to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program, saying: “This is the most important vote of your life.” He is right about that.